Former Cubs spokesman to lead World Sport Chicago

The legacy organization of Chicago's failed 2016 Olympics bid has hired a former Chicago Cubs spokesman as its new executive director.

Kam Buckner, who most recently served as the Cubs' manager of governmental and neighborhood relations, took over this week as the new leader of World Sport Chicago, a group formed using money left over from the city's Olympics bid to promote youth sports participation around the city.

The 29-year-old replaces retiring Executive Director Scott Myers and will oversee community programs like Becoming a Man Sports Edition, which aims to get young men involved in training for Olympics sports not traditionally offered by Chicago Public Schools, and the Plays youth soccer initiative in the city, among others.

With a staff of six full-time employees, the nonprofit has an annual budget of around $1.5 million, which comes from a combination of fundraising and the surplus funds from the nearly $73 million in cash raised in pursuit of hosting the 2016 Olympics.

"When I look at the kids that World Sport Chicago serves in the 'forgotten pockets' of the city, I think it's really important to engage them and to give them opportunities and chances to succeed and to survive," Buckner said.

The son of a CPS teacher and a Chicago police officer, he said that seeing classmates who "ended up in some really bad places," a common occurrence "when folks aren't engaged and aren't given opportunities to better themselves and see themselves outside of their situation," was a personal motivation for leading World Sport Chicago.

The Morgan Park native spent the past year and a half as the Cubs' liaison to various Wrigleyville neighborhood groups as the team worked through several iterations of its Wrigley Field renovation plan.

Prior to joining the Cubs, he worked on behalf of New Orleans Mayor Mitchell Landrieu with the city's sports tourism agency and recreation development commission. He also previously spent more than five years as a liaison for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

"We are excited to have found Kam Buckner—a leader who will enable the organization to continue to grow the positive impact on Chicago youth," WSC Chairman Pat Ryan, who led the city's Olympics bid, said in a statement.

Buckner, a former member of the University of Illinois football team, has been involved in Chicago sports dating back to high school days. He worked as an usher for games at Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, the United Center and U.S. Cellular Field.